SOLVED - How to set system to remember Root Password?

[AVLinux]

Hi!

Another 'new to MX from Debian' question..

I'm using MX 19.2 and doing a lot of work in it's innards to create an AV Linux blended respin so I'm running around in the service corridors of the system these days and and finding the need to 'Open as Root' and 'Edit as Root' a lot and I'm using a Root password (not sudo) on the system. On my Buster systems my Root password is retained and persistent throughout the session but I see that MX does not work this way, (perhaps as a deterrent to people not getting and keeping Root permissions too easily if not necessary?)

Is there a way to enable the default Debian behavior in this regard with some sort of keyring package or setting or is MX hardcoded to prevent this? Right now I'm typing in my Root Password about 40 times per session and while I'm working in the system folders and configs I'd like to not have to do it every time I open a Root term, text Editor or Thunar.. Synaptic I understand is a different story and will always need the Root PW at every use.

The more I wander in MX's guts the more I'm impressed by the tremendous attention to detail! Great work MX Team!

[SwampRabbit]

Is this just for your session use or something you also want to make it's way across to AVLinux for users too?

We have Passwords and Keys (seahorse), I don't think that is what you are looking for, but you mentioned keyring package.
Check out section 2.6.3 of the MX Manual and there is this wiki entry https://mxlinux.org/uncategorized/gnome-keyring/

Something else can look at is MX Tweak > "Other" tab > Password for administrative tasks > set to "User".
This will essentially give you what Ubuntu and the like have.

Edit: cause my typing sinks when switching between systems lol

[AVLinux]

Hi @SwampRabbit,

Nice to hear from you again, is the MX Tweak setting essentially a frontend for setting up 'sudo'? If so that's not really what I'm looking for, I'll look more into the libpam-gnome-keyring thing, that seems to ring a bell..

I should know this stuff better but when Debian hands it to you as a default you don't do much digging..

[fehlix]

The gnome-keyring thingy was used by gksu to store/remember roots's password into. We don't have gksu anymore. For running Gui as root we do use mx-pkexec wrapper around pkexec. Within the mx-tweak tool you change priveledged authentication from entering root-password to entering user password. If you don't want to enter password at all, you can perhaps either set a pkla/pkexec-policy to always autheticate. Or make a "empty" root/user password. Of course highly not recommended. E.g. we have some tools where user don't need to enter root password, f.i. the "Installer" in the LiveISO, that made with a pkexec-policy, iirc.

[SwampRabbit]

Fehlix is Obviously much much more up to speed on all this than me.

I though we do/did have something for password management during a session though...maybe I’m thinking about something else.

[AVLinux]

The gnome-keyring thingy was used by gksu to store/remember roots's password into. We don't have gksu anymore. For running Gui as root we do use mx-pkexec wrapper around pkexec. Within the mx-tweak tool you change priveledged authentication from entering root-password to entering user password. If you don't want to enter password at all, you can perhaps either set a pkla/pkexec-policy to always autheticate. Or make a "empty" root/user password. Of course highly not recommended. E.g. we have some tools where user don't need to enter root password, f.i. the "Installer" in the LiveISO, that made with a pkexec-policy, iirc.

Ahhh, you clever guys you!

I'm curious as a tweaker if this was an end run around Debian's uhm... err.. 'inconvenient' restructuring of "su" and the fallout from that... (ie stuff like Gdebi not working, nasty terminal messages about missing PATH's etc)?

If you guys set it up that way, I'll just be happy and type my Root PW more often, so then do 'gksu' commands not work anymore? Most of my convenience tools use gksu for Root access I'm guessing they will all need to be rewritten for pkexec or is your mx-pkexec wrapper a 'translator' for gksu commands?

[fehlix]

so then do 'gksu' commands not work anymore? Most of my convenience tools use gksu for Root access I'm guessing they will all need to be rewritten for pkexec or is your mx-pkexec wrapper a 'translator' for gksu commands?

gksu is already another little wrapper around mx-pkexec. mx-pkxec purpose is mainly to retain env-variables for Qt-apps and to get theming better work.